I don't drink a whole lot but a couple of weeks ago I went to a friends house and had six coolers that were 5% in about a 6 hour period. I was just pissed. I could not believe it. My husband thinks it probably has to do with some of the damage the MS has done to me. Anyone experience this or maybe I just a cheap drunk.

6 coolers would wipe me flat under ordinary circumstances! But having said that -- are you on any meds for your MS? Nearly all the meds, whether they be for spasticity or pain or even the injectables, come with warnings to be careful about mixing alcohol and the drugs, and be sure you know what effect that will have on you. The usual effect is that the alcohol will affect you more quickly. You might check the labels of any drugs you're on and see if there aren't warnings there....I am not a doctor, nor health professional, and don't pretend to be one, here.....

There is a silent joke between my hubby and me. If we drink when we are out, he orders a drink and I order one. By the time he is done with his I've had my 2-3 sips and my drink becomes his second drink. I just don't drink! I order a drink so that nobody notices I'm not drinking. Some friends have noticed and laugh about it.

I can't imagine what 6 coolers would do to me! I'd probably be passed out somewhere!

I'm not dx but alcohol has always effected me very quickly. As Uppity said, please be careful.

To be quite honest and frank, I can be a binge drinker (once every 2-6 months lasting 2-7 days), always social though. When I am on a binge it takes A LOT for me to get drunk starting from day one. When I am not on a binge a single wine cooler can get me tipsy. I have been on several diffrent meds at one time and they change over time. I think the amount it takes to get me tipsy/drunk is more or less related to my tolerance of alcohol at the time I am drinking it. Studies have shown that those that drink will have a tolerance level that flucuates over time, independently of the time you actually spend drinking. Meaning, if there was a point in time that you were a heavy drinker over a period of time, say college days, then stop drinking except occasionally, there will be periods of time that your body will have a higher tolerance and lower tolerance to alcohol even if you haven't touched a drink for a period of time or aren't drinking period.

Most meds are processed in the liver, just as alcohol is. Some of the MS drugs alone have a high risk of liver damage without the use of alcohol on top of it. There is also a possibility that alcohol will increase or decrease the effects of a medication to a non-theraputic level, which isn't good.

Because the alcohol is processed in the liver and NOT the brain, I doubt that having MS changes the effects of alcohol directly. Of course having MS can make it seem like we are drunk (loss of balance, nystagmus, slurred and disoriented speech) when in fact we are not.

Your tolerance has gone down and now alcohol is cheaper. Nice. I wouldn't complain...lol Wait and see though, it should go back up at some point for no reason as well =/Sandy C.